Back to business as usual for All Blacks in Championship
sydney — The All Blacks juggernaut hit a road bump in the British and Irish Lions series but it should be back to business as usual for the world champions when they take on South Africa, Australia and Argentina in the Rugby Championship.
New Zealand reduced their rivals to roadkill when they took the title last year, winning all six matches with try-scoring bonus points and bookending their campaign with crushing wins in Australia (42-8) and South Africa (57-15).
The sustained pressure the Lions were able to put the All Blacks under in their drawn series in June and July would normally offer hope to the Wallabies and Springboks were not both proud rugby nations at such a low ebb.
Argentina look even less likely to beat the All Blacks for the first time and it is against the other two nations they will be targetting the two wins they want in their sixth crack at the southern hemisphere championship.
The Pumas take their quest initially to Port Elizabeth to face South Africa on Saturday after reigning champions New Zealand and Australia have opened the tournament in Sydney, the first of three Bledisloe Cup tests this season.
The Wallabies once again have the unenviable task of taking on the All Blacks in back-to-back tests at the start of their campaign and only the most optimistic of Australians are expecting a first win in six matches against their neighbours.
A wretched Super Rugby campaign when none of the five Australian teams managed a single victory over New Zealand opposition in 26 attempts sandwiched a disappointing June test window when the Wallabies were humbled at home by Scotland.
Michael Cheika remains confident the re-building process he embarked upon after reaching the final of the 2015 World Cup is on course and that his team have a genuine chance of taking possession of the Bledisloe Cup for the first time since 2003. —